celebrity news

Having won 15 herself, Alicia Keys is no stranger at the Grammys. This year however, the singer will claim a new role, ending James Corden’s two-year stint as host of the awards show.

The announcement came via the Grammys official Twitter page on January 15, with a post that read: “IT’S OFFICIAL! 15-time GRAMMY winner @AliciaKeys will host the 61st GRAMMYs, marking her first time as master of ceremonies for Music’s Biggest Night.”

Last April, Keys was honored at Variety’s Power of Women event in New York, after co-launching Keep a Child Alive—a nonprofit aimed at combating HIV. Using her acceptance speech, the singer spoke out about the inequality that women face in the workplace and in the world, reiterating this message at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

“Look at all the action that’s around us: women running for office in record numbers, women banding together in the entertainment industry, women demanding an end to disparity in the music industry like equal representation on the Grammy stage,” she said.

“We were told we need to step up. Well, you feel that step up now?”

Keys will indeed be stepping up as the first female host of the show since Queen Latifah took on the role in 2005. She will be at the forefront of a year that includes a considerably larger number of female nominees.

“I’m especially excited for all the incredible women nominated this year! It’s going “UP” on February 10!”

The 2019 Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Centre on February 10 in Los Angeles.

The 76th annual Golden Globe Awards honored the best films and television of 2018 on Sunday, January 6.

This year, your hosts were actors Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh, with Oh joining the small group of actors to win awards in the same ceremony that they hosted.

The show may have run 20 minutes over its allotted three-hour running time, but it was full of impassioned speeches, diversification and unexpected surprises.

Here are the night’s most talked-about highlights.

“I’m Sorry!”

Jokes often fall flat during opening monologues. This year however, Sandra Oh managed to stir up some responses from the audience. We’re looking at you Emma Stone.

Introducing the history-making Crazy Rich Asians, Oh called out films that whitewashed Asian roles. “[Crazy Rich Asians] is the first studio film with an Asian-American lead since Ghost in the Shell and Aloha,” she joked.

The latter saw Emma Stone play a part-Asian character and explains why she shouted, “I’m sorry!” from the audience.

Sandra Oh: ["Crazy Rich Asians"] is the first studio film with an Asian American lead since "Ghost in the Shell" and "Aloha."

Shortly after, Oh redirected her efforts to Lady Gaga, referencing the actress’ go-to-interview anecdote about there being 100 people in a room “and you just need one to believe in you and that was Bradley Cooper.”

In good spirits, Gaga responded: “It’s true!”

A Swift surprise

While many were upset that Glen Close bested A Star Is Born firm favorite Lady Gaga for best actress (film drama), The Wife star earned a standing ovation for her emotional speech.

Close paid tribute to other nominees in the category, including Gaga, Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy and Rosamund Pike, before thanking her own mother as she discussed the film’s themes of gender inequality.

The actress said: “Women, we’re nurturers, we have our children, and our partners if we’re lucky enough, but we have to find personal fulfilment, we have to follow our dreams, we have to say ‘I can do that’ and I think we should be allowed to do that.”

The only Globe A Star Is Born picked up was for best original song. In an unannounced appearance, Taylor Swift presented Gaga with the award for Shallow, the No.1 duet between Gaga and Cooper.

Host-turned-winner

The first person of Asian descent to host the Golden Globes—Sandra Oh is now also the first woman of Asian descent to win best actress (TV drama) in more than three decades, for BBC America’s spy thriller Killing Eve.

Oh’s tearful speech at the top of the show earned her even more adoration on Twitter, as she touched on the diversity of this year’s nominee pool.

“I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change,” she said.

“Trust me, it is real. Because I see you. And I see you. All these faces of change. And now, so will everyone else.”

Thank you, Satan

This year, the Globes seemed light on politics. That was, until Christian Bale accepted his award for best actor in a comedy or musical, for political satire Vice.

“Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration for playing this role,” he said about his character Dick Cheney.

While some found the joke tasteless, the comment earned recognition from the Church of Satan itself, which wrote on Twitter: “To us, Satan is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential. As Mr. Bale’s own talent and skill won him the award, this is fitting. Hail Christian! Hail Satan!”

To us, Satan is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential. As Mr. Bale's own talent and skill won him the award, this is fitting. Hail Christian! Hail Satan! https://t.co/ILuK8TFZXi

In a popular win, Regina King accepted best supporting actress for If Beale Street Could Talk.

After expressing her admiration for fellow nominee Amy Adams, King took a bold stance on gender equality.

“I’m going to use my platform right now to say that in the next two years, everything I produce … is 50 percent women.

“And I challenge anyone that’s out there who is in a position of power, not just in our industry, all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourselves and stand with us in solidarity and do the same,” she said.

Worthy winners

While the Globes proved to be devastating for A Star is Born, the night was a big success for Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. The film won best film (drama) and also saw Rami Malek win best actor for his role as Freddie Mercury.

Richard Madden won best performance by an actor in a television drama for his role in the Bodyguard and Patricia Arquette took home best performance as an actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television for her work on Escape at Dannemora.

The night also gave way to mixed opinions as Mahershala Ali won best performance by an actor in a supporting role motion picture for Green Book.

A jury is set to decide if British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran copied Marvin Gaye’s song Let’s Get It On when he created his smash single Thinking Out Loud.

The 27 year-old’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit was rejected on Thursday, January 3 when district Judge Louis Stanton said a jury should decide Sheeran’s liability.

Judge Stanton found “substantial similarities between several of the two works’ musical elements.”

He further ruled that it was disputed whether the harmonic rhythm of Let’s Get It On was too common to deserve copyright protection.

The action was brought against Sheeran, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Atlantic Records by the estate and heirs of late producer Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Let’s Get It On with Gaye.

The classic track hit number one in 1973 while Thinking Out Loud topped the UK single charts in 2014.

The defense has argued that the newer track was characterized by “sombre, melancholic tones, addressing long-lasting romantic love,” while Let’s Get It On was a “sexual anthem.”

However, the Judge said there were similarities in the bass lines and percussion of the two songs and stated that listeners might consider both hits as having the same “aesthetic appeal.”

Sheeran denies copying Gaye.

Not the first time

The accusation is not the first time that Sheeran has been accused of copying other artists.

In 2017, the star settled a $20 million copyright infringement claim over his song Photograph. He was sued in 2016 by songwriters Thomas Leonard and Martin Harrington, who claimed that his hit ballad had a similar structure to their song Amazing.

Another instance in 2017 also saw the team behind TLC’s 1999 single No Scrubs given writing credits on Sheeran’s Shape of You, after comparisons were made between elements of the songs.

Judge Stanton is presiding over another lawsuit alleging Sheeran copied Let’s Get It On. Structured Asset Sales (SAS)—which owns a third of Townsend’s estate—are suing for $100 million.

They claim he copied the “melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bass line, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping” of the song.

According to US Weekly, Kardashian, 38, and West, 41, are expecting a fourth child via surrogate.

The baby is reportedly due in “very early May,” although the couple are yet to comment on the circulating news.

Kardashian is said to have only one fertilized embryo remaining and will be using the same surrogate who carried her daughter Chicago—born 12 months ago, on January 15.

The couple currently have three children. The new baby, reportedly a boy, will also join sister North, 5, and brother Saint, 3.

Suffering from health issues in her previous pregnancies, Kardashian turned to a surrogate for her youngest daughter after doctors advised her not to get pregnant again naturally.

She has previously opened up about her complications and battle with placenta accreta, a condition where the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall.

“There were a couple of little operations to fix all that, so that created a little hole in my uterus, which I think made it really tough to get pregnant again,” she told C Magazine.

The identity of the surrogate who carried Chicago remains unknown, but she did make an anonymous cameo on Keeping Up with the Kardashians last year and her first name was revealed to be Lorena.

“My surrogate is such a nice person, my family absolutely loves her and I’m so grateful,” the reality star said in the episode.

Following Chicago’s birth, she said: “I enjoyed the surrogacy process. When it came time to breastfeed, I realized it was the best decision I have made—it’s a game changer.

“I can spend so much more time with the older kids, getting them used to the new baby.”

In more recent episodes of the show, Kardashian spilled that “Kanye wants to have more children.”

“He’s been harassing me. He wants like seven. He’s like stuck on seven,” she said.

Speaking to E! News in August 2018, Kardashian shot down rumors that the couple were planning for baby number four. However, she was clearly not opposed to the idea.

“None of that was true…but I’ve been really open about it and talked about it on our show, so…I don’t know.”

Meanwhile, a source stated that some of her sisters are also thinking about getting pregnant again.

Born within a few months of each other, cousins Chicago West, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s 11-month-old daughter Stormi Webster, and Khloé Karashian and Tristan Thompson’s eight-month-old daughter True Thompson, have become known as the “triplets”.

Kevin Hart has announced that he will no longer be hosting the 2019 Oscars ceremony.

On Thursday night, the comedian-actor took to Twitter to issue an apology to the LGBTQ community for past “insensitive words” and to confirm he will not be a “distraction” at the Oscars.

The apology and step-down follow an outcry after homophobic comments and tweets from the Ride Along and Jumanji star resurfaced.

What happened?

On Tuesday December 4, Hart—who is currently performing in New Zealand—revealed that he would host Hollywood’s prestigious Oscars ceremony in February 2019.

“I am so happy to say that the day has finally come for me to host the Oscars,” he wrote.

“I am blown away simply because this has been a goal on my list for a long time.”

The backlash

A significant number of Hart’s tweets from between 2009 to 2011 promptly flooded the internet, in which he had used homophobic slurs and derogatory language.

In a tweet from 2011, among some that have been deleted, Hart said: “Yo if my son comes home & try’s 2 play with my daughters doll house I’m going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that’s gay’.”

A video from a 2010 standup special also resurfaced; where Hart delivers an entire standup routine based on the fear his three-year-old son would be gay.

This led people to criticize the Academy’s decision to make him host.

The apology

On Thursday, Hart addressed the situation by posting a video of himself to Instagram that did not feature an apology.

Instead, he said: “Our world is becoming beyond crazy, and I’m not going to let the craziness frustrate me.” The post’s caption read: “I am truly happy people … there is nothing that you can do to change that … NOTHING.”

Hours later, he posted yet another Instagram video, detailing that he had received a call from the Academy telling him to apologize or be removed as host.

“I chose to pass, I passed on the apology. The reason I chose to pass is because I’ve addressed this several times. This is not the first time this has come up, I’ve addressed this. I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I’ve moved on and I’m in a completely different space in my life.”

“I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars,” he wrote.

“This is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.

“I’m sorry that I hurt people. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart. Much love and appreciation to the Academy. I hope we can meet again.”

I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year's Oscar's….this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists. I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.

Bollywood’s highest paid actress Priyanka Chopra, 36, and popstar Nick Jonas, 26, are now married after a four-month engagement.

The high profile couple tied the knot with both a Christian ceremony on Saturday—officiated by Jonas’ father—and a traditional Hindu ceremony on Sunday, at the stunning Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in India. The two ceremonies were conducted to honour the faith and culture of both families.

Chopra wore a Ralph Lauren wedding gown, while Jonas sported a suit by the same fashion house. The newlyweds were personally congratulated by the famed designer, who had custom-designed Chopra’s dress. In an Instagram post, he said: “Congratulations to Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas on the occasion of their wedding. Ralph Lauren is honoured to have dressed the couple as well as the members of their wedding party.”

Although Chopra admitted to Jonas being the first to reach out to her via Twitter back in 2016, the pair hadn’t actually met until 2017. Their relationship was sprung into the public sphere in 2018.

In an Instagram post, Chopra said: “One of the most spocialthings that our relationship has given us is a merging of families who love and respect each other’s faiths and cultures. And so planning our wedding with an amalgamation of both was so, so amazing. An important part of the pre wedding rituals for the girl in an Indian wedding is the Mehendi. Once again we made it our own and it was an afternoon that kicked off the celebrations in the way we both dreamed.”

Chopra won the Miss World beauty pageant in 2000 which opened doors to an illustrious career in film. She broke into the US film and television scene with titles such as A Kid Like Jake and Ventilator. In 2017, Forbes magazine included the access in a list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.

Nick Jonas is best known for being in the Jonas Brothers, a band he formed with his brothers. The poster has since gone on to find success in a solo career and was a mentor alongside Demi Lovato in the UK’s hit talent how, The X Factor.

Jason Derulo, who has sold more than 30 million records worldwide since the start of his career in 2009, wrote the song intended to serve as the Coca-Cola song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign.

On the release of his new song, Jason Derulo said “It was a pleasure working with Coca-Cola to create the anthem for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It’s a tournament that celebrates athletic excellence and I’m honoured to provide the soundtrack.”

“Through my years of travel, I’ve been able to see the beauty in our cultural differences and I wrote Colors to celebrate that diversity and be a part of the amazing energy that sports fans around the world give to their teams,” he added.

Ricardo Fort, the vice president of Global Sports Partnerships at Coca-Cola said, “We know the FIFA World Cup is a global cultural and social phenomenon. Every four years, people are drawn to this event from all over the world due to the excitement and platform it provides.

“We believe that music and soccer are intrinsically linked by the passions they evoke. We are excited to welcome Jason to the team and can’t wait to bring this upbeat anthem to the world ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.”

Jason Derulo has earned himself a permanent place in the world music stage and is a multiplatinum artist whose current hit Swalla has racked up a whopping one billion views on YouTube. The music powerhouse broke through with catchy his Watcha Say back in 2010 and has since enjoyed regular top spots in global charts with In My Head (2010),It Girl (2011) and Talk Dirty (2013).

After months of frenzied speculation in the media about the pregnancy, the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, Kylie Jenner, announces the birth of her baby girl. In a statement published across her social media platforms on Sunday night, the 20-year-old said:

“I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark through all the assumptions. I understand you’re used to me bringing you along on all my journeys. My pregnancy was one I chose not to do in front of the world. I knew for myself I needed to prepare for this role of a lifetime in the most positive, stress free and healthy way I knew how. There was no gotcha moment, no big paid reveal I had planned. I knew my baby would feel every stress and every emotion so I chose to do it this way for my little life and our happiness.

Pregnancy has been the most beautiful, empowering and life-changing experience I’ve had in my entire life and I’m actually going to miss it. I appreciate my friends and especially my family for helping me make this special moment as private as we could. My beautiful and healthy baby girl arrived February 1st and I just couldn’t wait to share this blessing. I’ve never felt love and happiness like this I could burst! Thank you for understanding.”

Reactions to the news have been monumental. When Kylie Jenner announced the birth of her daughter, her mom and manager Kris Jenner tweeted, “God is SO good!! I am so excited and thrilled to welcome another precious baby girl to our beautiful, ever growing family. We are blessed beyond belief!”

Along with the announcement, Kylie Jenner also published a 10-minute video via YouTube documenting her pregnancy journey. The video has racked up almost 22 million views in just 12 hours.